Best Diving Destinations in Nam Trung Bộ

Destinations

The Most Beautiful Dive Sites in Nam Trung Bộ

About Nam Trung Bộ

The south-central coast of Vietnam consists of the independent municipality of Đà Nẵng and seven other provinces. This area offers an impressive marine biodiversity: sharks, grouper, jacks, dugongs, οctopi, sea snakes, seahorses, turtles, morays, rays, and all the regular reef visitors can be seen here. Diving is suitable for all diver levels. Divers can find everything from gently sloping fringing reefs to vertical walls down to 50m/164ft deep. Nha Trang has to be the best-known dive destination in this region, with coral pyramids and large pillars that are covered with coral (over 350 species of coral) and vibrant, rare nudibranches. The Marine Protected Area in Nha Trang Bay has a high level of biodiversity, with 45% of the coral species worldwide. It takes about 40 minutes by boat to get there, and there are good opportunities for long dives with great macro life. There are several islands off Nha Trang, but most diving is done off the marine reserve of Hon Mun. Nha Trang has over 20 different dive sites to choose from, and the best are Moray Beach, Small Hill, South Reef, Electric Nose, Coral Garden, and Madonna Rock. Other interesting diving spots are Whale Island (shore diving, wall dives, and coral gardens, the best sites are Three Kings and White Rock) and the Cham Islands near Hội An. The Cham Islands are part of the Cù Lao Chàm Marine Park, a world Biosphere Reserve recognized by UNESCO, where 165 species of corals, 202 species of fish, 4 species of lobsters, and 84 species of mollusks can be found. These sites have a selection of swim-throughs, caves, and reefs. The most-visited sites are Hon Nhan, Mui Loa, and Hon Gai North. The average visibility is 15m/49ft, and there are almost no currents in most of the dive sites.

When to go to Nam Trung Bộ

Diving is possible all year round with water temperatures ranging between 23-28C/73-82F. The air temperature averages 19-23C/67-74F in January and 25-33C/77-91F in May. The peak monsoon season in this region is September through December, so it would be best to visit outside that time.